Gymnastic apparatus.



A. E. GARLAND.

GYMNASTIG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1911.

1,019,037. A Patented Mar.5,1912.

(vlf esses MEI 1' vertical position. When supported in a ver- ALBERT E. GARLAND, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GYMNAS-TIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application filed June 5, 1911. Serial No. 631,237.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. GARLAN a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gymnastic Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a gymnastic apparatus, and more particularly to a convertible apparatus of the class described which may be used for several separate and distinct purposes.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of this character, the initial cost of which is relatively small, which is of rigid construction and which may be readily manipulated in order to accommodate it for a variety of uses.

With this end in view, the various features of the invention comprise certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention; Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus illustrating its use as an athletic appliance for gymnasts; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the view shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail. illustrating the means for guiding the stall bars upon their respective supporting standards; Fig. 4 is a front view of the apparatus illustrating its use as bleachers; Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating the means for locking the stall bars in adjusted position; and Fig. 6 is a section upon the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 and illustrating the construction of the stall bars.

The apparatus shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a unique construction and arrangement of supporting posts or standards which are arranged to be supported in a variety of positions and which may be used for a variety of purposes. The supporting standards are indicated at 1 and preferably consist of hollow metallic bars. The bars are of suitable length and are arranged to be supported in parallel relation either in an oblique or a tical position, the bars are spaced a suitable distance from the side wall of the gymnasium and may be used either alone or in conjunction with other athletic appliances as a means of exercise by athletes or gymnasts. The bars are preferably used, however, in conjunction with a series of sliding gates or stall bars as they are termed. These stall bars are slidingly supported between two of the standards and may be adjusted to and locked in any vertical position.

The stall bars are ordinarily adjusted to a variety of positions in order to accommodate them for a large number of different exercises. To thisend, the standards 1 are provided with vertical ribs or guides 3 formed upon their opposite faces and arranged to slidingly support the stall bars which are indicated at 5. The stall bars 5 consist of a plurality of short transverse rungs 6 which are supported in side bars 7. The side bars 7 are provided With vertical recesses which fit the ribs 3 and retain the stall bars upon the standards.

In order to readily lock the stall bars in adjusted position, a series of slots or holes 9 are formed in the ribs 3 and locking pins 10 are loosely pivoted upon the outer ends of arms 10 in order to engage with the slots 9. The arms 10 are pivotally supported upon the side bars 7 in any suitable manner and .the stall bars in readiness to be used, and

when the stall bars are removed and not in use, there is no liability of the pins becoming misplaced and lost. 6

Although the preferred arrangement comprises vertical ribs formed on the supporting standards and arranged to cooperate with the vertical recesses formed in the stall bars, any suitable interlocking arrangement for securing the desired operative relation between the supporting standards and stall bars may be conveniently employed. As stated previously, the standards are supported in a vertical position and in spaced relation to the side wall of the gymnasium. The lower ends of the standards are positioned in a series of cup-shaped socket members 11 seated in the floor 12 and the upper ends pass through a series of socket members or rings 13 located directly above the socket members 11. In order to support the rings 13 in position, a transverse bar 14 is mounted in laterally extending brackets 15 which arerfastened to the side wall 16 of the gymnasium. The rings 13 are spaced upon the bar and are held in any suitable manner from longitudinal movement thereon. The standards 1 are retained in position by looking pins 18 which are preferably provided for the upper and lower ends of each standard. In order that the standards may be readily removed from the sockets 11 and 18, the upper sockets 13 are arranged to rotate in vertical planes about the bar 14. This is accomplished by providing the rings 13 with laterally extending arms 19 which are bored transversely to receive the bar 14;. This arrangement enables the supporting standards 10 be slid vertically until the lower ends are disengaged from the sockets 11 and then rocked into an oblique position, in which position the upper ends are readily disengaged from the rings 13.

When the standards are employed as bleacher supports they are removed from the vertical position and supported in an oblique position with the seat supports located upon the upper side in readiness to receive a plurality of seat boards. The upper ends of the standards in this position are retained by a plurality of socket members 20 which are embedded in or fastened to the side wall of the gymnasium and the lower ends rest on the fioor 12 and are retained in position by locking pins 21 entering suitable recesses (not shown) formed in the floor. It will be noted from an inspection of the drawing that each of the bars is provided with a beveled end which is arranged to rest evenly on the floor when the bars are in an oblique position and support the bars firmly without marring or injuring the floor. The seat boards 22 of the bleachers are received upon seat supports or brackets 23 which are rigidly mounted on one side of the bars and constructed in any suitable manner.

When supported in a vertical position, the supporting standards may be used either with or without the stall bars 5, thus forming in this position several distinct types of exercising apparatus. The supporting standards may extend entirely across one side of a gymnasium, and it is desirable to arrange the stall bars so that they may be removed from between their respective supporting standards while the standards are retained in a vertical position in order that one or more of the standards may be swung into an oblique position without disturbing the remainder of the standards. To this end the stall bars are arranged to be readily collapsed and folded up when the locking pins 10 are removed from the standards.

The side bars 7 are provided with vertical recesses 24 and the ends of the rungs 6 are pivotally supported upon pins 25 which are driven into the side bars and extend transversely of the recesses 24. It will now be seen that all the stall bars may be successively removed from the standards and the standards then placed in an oblique position to support seat boards, thus converting the entire apparatus into bleachers, or only a portion of the stall bars may be removed if so desired, thus converting a portion of the apparatus into bleachers and leaving the remainder of the apparatus for exercising purposes.

Vith the above described construction, a strong rigid structure for seating any required number of persons may be readily erected and when not in use may be removed, leaving the entire floor of the gymnasium free and unobstructed.

This apparatus is firm and rigid in its construction and yet does not require the employment of screws, bolts or other fastenings to mar the finish of the gymnasium floor.

In addition to its use as a stand for bleachers, the apparatus may be quickly converted into stall bars, which are a very elficient means for developing and exercising athletes, and it will be noted that when in position as stall bars the seat brackets are located upon the rear side of the standards facing the wall and in a position where there is no interference with the movements of the person using the apparatus.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the claims, and may be changed or modified without departing from the broader features of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of standards, vertical ribs formed on opposite faces of the standards for slidingly retaining stall bars between the standards and brackets formed upon the rear side of the standards to receive seat boards, substantially as described.

2. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of standards arranged to slidingly support stall bars between them, brackets formed upon the rear sides of the standards for receiving seat boards, means for retaining the standards in a vertical position, and means for retaining the standards in an oblique position, substantially as described.

3. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of standards arranged to slidingly support stall bars between them,

ceiving seat boards when the standards are supported in the oblique position, substantially as described.

4. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of standards, retaining members seated in the floor to retain the lower ends of the standards, retaining members supported upon the vertical side wall and spaced laterally therefrom for holding the upper ends of the standards, means for locking the standards to the retaining members, and a stall bar supported between the standards and vertically adjustable thereon, substantially as described.

5. A gymnastic apparatus,having, in combination, a plurality of standards, stall bars provided with side bars slidingly supported between the standards, a plurality of transverse rungs having their opposite ends pivotally connected to the side bars, and means for locking the stall bars upon the standards, substantially as described.

6. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a transverse bar supported in spaced relation to the vertical side wall, a plurality of sockets pivoted thereto to rock in vertical planes, standards arranged with their upper ends passing through the sockets, means for locking the standards to the sockets, and means for retaining the lower ends of the standards in fixed position to position the standards vertically in parallel alinement, substantially as described.

7 A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of standards supported Vertically in parallel alinement and in spaced relation to the side wall of the gymnasium, means formed on opposite faces of the standards to slidingly support stall bars between them, and means mounted on the rear faces of the standards opposite the wall of the gymnasium adapted to receive seat boards when the bars are supported in an oblique position, substantially as described.

8. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, stall bars, a plurality of standards arranged to slidingly support the stall bars between them, arms pivoted to the stall bars, and locking'pins supported upon the arms and arranged to engage the standards and lock the stall bars in adjusted position, substantially as described.

9. A gymnastic apparatus having, in combination, a plurality of standards, stall bars slidingly supported between the standards and having side bars provided with vertical recesses and a plurality of transverse rungs having their opposite ends pivotally supported in the vertical recesses, and means for locking the stall bars upon the standards, substantially as described.

ALBERT E. GARLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

